It must be pointed out that full mouth rehabilitation involves multiple phases. First of all, a thorough examination of the mouth is carried out. Your dentist will take note of the condition of existing teeth, especially the wear patterns, in order to ascertain the cause of the wear.

Your gum will also be evaluated and assessed for the presence of any gum disease. Any tooth decay and gum disease must be treated first before embarking on full mouth rehabilitation.

Radiographs are an integral part of the examination to assess the health of the roots of teeth, the supporting alveolar bone, and also the TMJ. Any hidden pathology of the jaw bone and hidden decay in between the teeth can easily be detected on radiographs as well.

A thorough analysis of your occlusion (the way your upper and lower teeth bite together while at rest and during function) has to be done. Impressions of your teeth will be made to produce models of your jaws. Your bite pattern and jaw relationships will also be recorded using a specialised instrument called a face-bow.

These records will then be used to mount your jaw models in the correct spatial position relative to your face on a special device called an articulator, which is a mechanical instrument used to simulate jaw movements.

With this done, we have your jaw models that move in almost the same manner on the articulator as your jaws do in your mouth. This way, a very detailed analysis of your occlusion and problems can be done, and an appropriate comprehensive treatment plan can be formulated.

A diagnostic mock-up of the final ideal occlusion and teeth arrangement will also be done on the mounted models on the articulator. That will form the blueprint of the entire treatment, much like an architectural drawing for a proposed building.

Photographs, both intra-oral and extra-oral, also aid in the treatment plan. Proper diagnosis and treatment planning is key to the eventual success of the treatment. The treatment plan may call for an inter-disciplinary approach with referrals to an orthodontist, oral surgeon, and endodontist.

As such, full mouth rehabilitation may involve multiple treatment stages and may take from a few months up to even a year or more in complicated cases. In cases that involve painful TMJ and jaw muscles, the patient may need to undergo bite readjustment by wearing a plastic bite splint to reposition the jaws to the optimal position before commencing on the actual treatment.

If your request is for a smile makeover, your dentist will need to address your specific concerns and expectations, besides carrying out the detailed examination and bite pattern analysis described above.

A proper interview is vital to assess whether the patient's expectations are realistic and achievable. You have to bear in mind that a smile makeover is an elective procedure which, unfortunately, involves invasive preparation of most, if not all, teeth in the mouth. Therefore, unless it can achieve the objectives you expect, you have to consider this option very carefully.

Since full mouth rehabilitation involves the preparation of all the teeth in the mouth, the patient's original bite pattern or occlusion will be lost with the removal of the biting surfaces of the teeth. A new occlusal scheme as determined by the diagnostic mock-up will be incorporated into the treatment to ensure that the patient will end up with a proper bite when they receive their new ceramic restorations.

A very common problem faced by patients who have undergone such extensive treatment is the inability to bite and eat properly for many months. While some patients with better adaptive ability and robust TMJ eventually overcome the problem, there are also a few who need to have the whole treatment redone.

Therefore, behind the facade of the perceived nice set of new teeth, the central issue in full mouth rehabilitation and smile makeover is proper management of occlusion and biology of teeth and gums.

Not only should you look good immediately after the new white crowns and veneers are cemented, but the results must be long-term and the treatment should not adversely affect the health of your teeth, gums, and TMJ.

It is very easy to get excited and carried away when your dentist promises you a "winning smile" because it is such an emotional thing, but it would be wiser for you to seek a second or even third opinion as to whether you should proceed with the treatment.

The last thing you want is to have your "winning smile" turn into "waning smile" because of a wrong diagnosis, improper treatment plan, and lack of the required clinical skills to carry out such a demanding treatment.

Dr Sim Tang Eng is president of the Asian Academy of Aesthetic Dentistry. The Star Health & Ageing Advisory Panel provides this information for educational and communication purposes only and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. Information published in this article is not intended to replace, supplant or augment a consultation with a health professional regarding the reader's own medical care. The Star Health & Ageing Advisory Panel disclaims any and all liability for injury or other damages that could result from use of the information obtained from this article.